


If you asked

by lastoneleft



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Aged up characters, Cana is a little shit, M/M, ffs boys, they've probably had a boner for each other for years at this point, you can always assume they are older than canon but sometimes i remember to tag it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 18:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16540205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastoneleft/pseuds/lastoneleft
Summary: Gray and Natsu are friends. Sometimes Gray finds himself yearning for a little more.





	If you asked

“Read in the newspaper today that the Mayor of Clover thinks we make a great team,” Natsu says. Gray snorts. “C'mon, we rocked that mission there last week, and the one before that in Shirotsume.” 

Gray chuckles, raising his drink to his lips to try to disguise it. “Yeah, you might have a point,” he says, watching Natsu over the rim of his glass.

Natsu’s changed over the last few months. He seems funnier. Smarter. He's put on some muscle, too. It's kinda hot. Gray nearly chokes on his whiskey.  _ Hot? _ He shakes his head. Maybe he’s a little drunk. 

Natsu laughs at the booze trickling from the corner of Gray’s mouth. Gray's heart hammers against his ribcage. Yeah. Definitely a little drunk. Cana’s bangles jingle behind him, then she's rounding the table and sliding onto the bench opposite him, leaning into Natsu. She flashes Natsu a grin and props an elbow up on his shoulder. “You're funny today, aren't you?”

Gray glares at her a second before he realizes what he's doing. Cana’s grin gets wider.

Natsu doesn’t notice. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Cana drawls before taking a sip of her wine, “that Gray hasn't stopped smiling for the last couple hours. You've even made him laugh. Kinda rare, don't you think?”

Natsu stares at Gray a moment, green eyes studying him so intently Gray shifts in place, stomach flipping. Gray yanks his shirt over his head, face prickling with heat when Natsu's eyes snap away. “Uh,” he says. “Not really?” He purses his lips. “He laughs quite a bit lately, come to think of it.”

Cana perks up. “Are you sure that isn't because-”

“You're out of wine,” Gray interrupts.

Cana looks down at her mug and frowns. “But this is so much-” The look Gray shoots her is warning enough, and she gets to her feet. “Fine. I can take a hint,” she says, making her way back to the bar.

“Hint?” Natsu repeats. Gray shrugs it off. Like there’s a shot in hell he’s telling Natsu why she left. “Weird,” Natsu mutters, fingers tracing grooves in the table for a moment. He looks back up at Gray through his lashes. “She isn't totally wrong. You are different lately, you know.”

Gray blinks. “How so?”

Natsu’s head tilts to the side. “Hard to explain. You seem happier. Lighter, maybe? I don't know, but you're smiling more and it's nice.” Gray’s brows raise and Natsu waves him off. “Don't read too much into it, Snowflake. It just makes you less annoying is all.”

Gray rolls his eyes. “Have you ever considered that maybe it's just you that finds me annoying?”

Natsu contemplates this for a moment. “Are you easing up on it so we can be friends?”

Gray laughs. “We are friends, we just hate admitting it.” 

“So all it takes is a little booze for them to get all lovey dovey with each other?” Cana cackles. “I should’ve gotten them drunk ages ago. Maybe it wouldn't have taken three years for them to figure their shit out.” Erza slaps a hand over Cana’s mouth, hissing something that almost sounds like  _ you're right but stop ruining their moment. _

Whatever it is they said, Natsu heard it and he likes it enough to smile about it. “I suppose you're right.”

Gray isn't sure if Natsu’s talking to him or Cana, but he doesn't care. Whatever keeps that big, bright grin on Natsu's face is fine by him.

“Any leads on another job we can take?” Gray asks.

Natsu's eyes light up, and he gestures to Mira for another round. “Saw one we can line up for next week.” Gray stares as Natsu drains the rest of his beer, Adam’s apple bobbing distractingly. “But we can discuss work tomorrow,” he says, picking up the new beer Mira set down. “To the great team we make.”

Gray smiles at that, and clinks his glass against Natsu's. “Yeah,” he says. “To us.”

* * *

 

“Do you-” Natsu laughs so hard he snorts, tears of mirth gathering in the corners of his eyes. “Do you remember the time-”

Gray groans. “I know what you're going to say, Ashes, but before you do, consider this: shut the hell up.”

“Remember the time I tricked you into walking into the girl’s washroom at that hotel?” Natsu howls, clutching his stomach.

“I was naked!”

“You should have heard yourself scream!”

“I got banned! For life.  _ Life, _ Natsu!”

“I wasn't the only one who called you a pervert that day,” Natsu says, wiping his eyes. “That was our first mission together. Can you believe how long it's been?”

Gray shakes his head. “I'd say that mission set the tone for our relationship, but I already couldn't stand you long before Erza forced us to take it.”

Erza turns at the mention of her name. She leans a little closer to them and away from Cana’s snoring once Mira sets her cake down on the bar.

“And now? Can you still not stand me now?” Natsu purrs, lip pulled between his teeth.

Gray stares. Is Natsu… flirting with him? No. There’s no way.

Except Natsu gives him an obvious once-over before his eyes meet Gray’s again, sharp and keen and intrigued.

Natsu’s still eye-fucking Gray as he tosses back his drink. Gray sets his glass down, tongue burning with liquid confidence. “Now?” he hums. “Now we’re best friends, but I'd totally fuck you if you asked.”

Natsu freezes, beer halfway to his mouth. “What?”

“What?” Gray echoes.

“He said he'd fuck you if you asked,” Erza calls around a mouthful of strawberry cake.

Cana stirs, head popping up. “Huh? What'd I miss?”

Erza recounts what she just overheard, quietly, for Gray's sake. The look Cana throws him screams  _ I told you so. _

Gray drops his head in his hands. What can he even say after something like that? There’s no going back.  _ Shit. _

Natsu reaches across the table and grabs Gray’s wrist, “Hey, wanna get out of here? I have a few questions for you.” He smirks, so wicked heat tugs in Gray’s gut. “Actually I only have one question, but I’m gonna need you to answer it a few times before we go to sleep.”


End file.
